Attitudes towards persons with disabilities have been one of the foci in the academic study of disability. However, the majority of studies have been conducted in western countries, and it is uncertain whether the findings of those studies can be generalized to non-western countries. This study focuses on a Chinese cultural context, attempting to provide insights into how different people of varying cultural backgrounds perceive disabilities. In order to determine the influence of living and studying in the U. S. on Chinese graduate students’ attitudes toward persons with intellectual disabilities, an empirical investigation was conducted through an attitude survey of two groups of graduate students: Chinese graduate students at a Midwestern university in the U. S. and Chinese graduate students at a university in the mainland of China. The study concludes that there was no significant difference in attitudes toward persons with intellectual disabilities between US and Chinese participants. This may be attributed to the low rate of Chinese international graduates’ acculturation, and the increasingly favorable attitudes of Chinese graduates in China along with some positive Chinese legislative policies concerning people with disabilities. This paper provides foundation for further research on Chinese Americans' attitudes toward disabilities and contributes to rehabilitation literature in a cultural context.

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Publication Type: Panel PaperAbstract: Attitudes towards persons with disabilities have been one of the foci in the academic study of disability. However, the majority of studies have been conducted in western countries, and it is uncertain whether the findings of those studies can be generalized to non-western countries. This study focuses on a Chinese cultural context, attempting to provide insights into how different people of varying cultural backgrounds perceive disabilities. In order to determine the influence of living and studying in the U. S. on Chinese graduate students’ attitudes toward persons with intellectual disabilities, an empirical investigation was conducted through an attitude survey of two groups of graduate students: Chinese graduate students at a Midwestern university in the U. S. and Chinese graduate students at a university in the mainland of China. The study concludes that there was no significant difference in attitudes toward persons with intellectual disabilities between US and Chinese participants. This may be attributed to the low rate of Chinese international graduates’ acculturation, and the increasingly favorable attitudes of Chinese graduates in China along with some positive Chinese legislative policies concerning people with disabilities. This paper provides foundation for further research on Chinese Americans' attitudes toward disabilities and contributes to rehabilitation literature in a cultural context.